Kit Guardian : The Eye of the Storm
by samredlamb7
Summary: First book of the Kit Guardian trilogy. The kits of StarClan are wiser than their age, and fiercely protective of the cats they've left behind. And when they sense trouble that could wipe out all the cats they love, they send out a prophecy to four cats, hoping that they can save the Clans as they know it. Follow the four cats on the journey their Kit Guardians send them on.


**A/N: Don't worry, there IS a story after these pesky things. Just needed to get it out of the way.**

* * *

Alliances:

OasisClan

Leader: Freezestar ~ Snowy white tom with forest green eyes.

Apprentice: Scorchpaw

Deputy: Vineleap ~ Brown tabby tom with white paws and dark blue eyes.

Apprentice: Rushpaw

Medicine Cat: Featherstep ~ Fluffy silvery she cat with gentle blue eyes.

Apprentice: Willowpaw

Warriors:

Palmclaw ~ Black tom with brown paws.

Apprentice: Grasspaw

Ebonywhisker ~ Light brown she-cat.

Parrotflight ~ Ginger tom with blue-grey specks.

Swingtail ~ Tortoiseshell and white she cat.

Mistgaze ~ Black she cat with strange silver eyes.

Apprentice ~ Cracklepaw

Rootfur ~ Dark brown she cat.

Slashfur ~ Dark ginger tom.

Rowanfang ~ Dark ginger tom.

Russetwing ~ Dark ginger she cat.

Pricklefeather ~ Spiky-furred pale ginger she cat.

Apprentices:

Scorchpaw ~ Dark ginger and black tom.

Rushpaw ~ Pretty blue-grey tabby she cat.

Willowpaw ~ Gentle cream tabby she cat.

Grasspaw ~ Dark brown tabby tom.

Cracklepaw ~ Light brown tabby tom.

Queens:

Fernlight ~ Light grey she cat with white splotches. {Expecting Palmclaw's kits}

Appleflight ~ Stunning lilac tortoiseshell she cat. {Mother of Parrotflight's kits; Shrewkit, Swankit, and Mangokit}

Elders:

Swallowtail ~ Brown tom with dull fur.

Dappleheart ~ Old silver she cat.

DesertClan:

Leader: Duststar ~ Sandy brown tom.

Deputy: Stormclaw ~ Light ginger tom.

Medicine Cat: Thistleheart ~ Dark grey she cat.

Apprentice: Springpaw

Warriors:

Thrushwing ~ Sandy brown tom with white chest.

Cactusflower ~ Light cream she cat.

Petalbreeze ~ Lilac tortoiseshell she cat.

Lizardpetal ~ Sandy brown she cat.

Snaketail ~ Black tom.

Apprentice: Slitherpaw

Adderstrike ~ Black tom with brown paws.

Apprentice: Gingerpaw

Rattletail ~ Brown tom with black tail.

Apprentice: Tumblepaw

Apprentices:

Springpaw ~ Cream tabby she cat.

Slitherpaw ~ Brown tom with black paws.

Gingerpaw ~ Lithe ginger she cat.

Tumblepaw ~ Dark brown tom.

Queens:

Sandbloom ~ Ginger/light brown tabby she cat. {Mother of Duststar's kits; Littlekit, Pebblekit, and Dustykit}

Elders:

Cherrywing ~ Ginger she cat.

Treebark ~ Dark brown tom.

PineClan:

Leader: Foreststar ~ Dark ginger tom.

Deputy: Snow-whisker ~ Fluffy white she cat.

Medicine Cat: Goosefur ~ Dark grey tom.

Warriors:

Owlgaze ~ Black tom with orange eyes.

Mousetail ~ Dusky brown she cat.

Dovefeather ~ White and silver tabby she cat.

Apprentice: Bouncepaw

Greystorm ~ Dark grey tom.

Tanglefoot ~ Dark brown tom.

Sagewing ~ Lithe brown tabby she cat.

Apprentice: Rabbitpaw

Flamewing ~ Dark ginger tom.

Apprentice ~ Leap-paw

Ripplefeather ~ Beautiful silver she cat.

Apprentices:

Bouncepaw ~ Black tom.

Rabbitpaw ~ Brown she cat.

Leap-paw ~ Ginger she cat.

StreamClan:

Leader: Riverstar ~ Light grey she cat.

Deputy: Rainheart ~ Dark grey she cat.

Medicine Cat: Ripplefur ~ Dark grey tom.

Warriors:

Fishswoop ~ Ginger and white tom.

Salmonwing ~ Light ginger she cat.

Apprentice: Flashpaw

Troutclaw ~ Dark brown tom.

Webclaw ~ Black tom.

Apprentice: Minnowpaw

Willowheart ~ Grey tabby she cat.

Oakclaw ~ Dark brown tabby.

Apprentice: Stormpaw

Tricklewing ~ Grey she cat.

Puddleflight ~ Dark grey and white she cat.

Apprentices:

Stormpaw ~ Dark grey tabby tom.

Flashpaw ~ Black tom with ginger stripe running down back.

Minnowpaw ~ White she cat.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, another story. My ideas get all jumbled in my head. Expect an update for "The Rise of Flashstar" soon. I'll update this at ten reviews. Is that too much? Hopefully not. Sorry if this chapter is boring, it's more of an intro to the main characters. R&R Please!**

* * *

Rushpaw's POV

"Rushpaw!" my mentor, Vineleap, growled. "Wake up! We have to patrol the Eastern Border." I blinked open my light blue eyes and yawned.

"Coming, Vinetail!" I said, observing the sky as I padded out of the apprentice den. The sun had not yet risen, so I figured we were on the dawn patrol. I gave my pelt a few quick licks and followed my mentor, accompanied by my mother, Mistgaze. My siblings, Scorchpaw and Willowpaw, and my father, Rowanfang, would be pleased to know the DesertClan border was safe.

The territory we lived in was rather... odd. It had a wide variety of different terrines. We bordered PineClan and DesertClan. PineClan was made up of dense forests and lush undergrowth. DesertClan was dry and dusty, where the sun shone down on the cats mercilessly. It was a wonder that they could hunt in such heat. The upside was they didn't get snow come winter, and the weather was perfect for them. Across the lake there was StreamClan, a territory made up of a complex system of rivers and streams. I've been told you have to swim to a small island in between rivers to get to their camp.

There was a large fallen tree going through the lake and onto a small island, where we all met for Gatherings. My clan, OasisClan, was the very best. We lived in a luxurious jungle, which only got snow for a small amount of time. We had a small lake towards the back of our territory, and the jungle was filled with plenty of exotic birds to eat. Our camp was nestled in a less dense area of the jungle.

The warriors dug holes in the wide trees for nests, and the leader slept in a cozy hole in the Sky Tree, where Freezestar called all the clan meetings. Featherstep and Willowpaw, the Medicine Cat and Apprentice, slept at the base of the tree, in a hollow under the roots. Their patients slept in a den surrounded by bushes, and they stored their herbs in holes in the ground, covering them up with rocks to keep them safe. The apprentices slept in a rather large den underneath a tree, next to the nursery.

The nursery was tucked inside a cave, filled with feathers and warm milk-scent. On the other side of the apprentice den was another cave, where the elders stayed. It was just as cozy as the nursery, for the eldest warriors who had served their Clan well.

We soon reached the DesertClans border, the disgusting stench of dry dirt and decay reaching my nose. As we were marking the borders, DesertClan dawn patrol appeared out of the undergrowth.

"Hello, Vinetail," said Thrushwing, a senior warrior. "How's the prey running?"

"Good," my mentor responded warmly. He and Thrushwing had been friends since they were apprentices and met on their first Gathering. Also in the patrol was a black tom with brown paws, and his small ginger apprentice.

"How are you, Adderstrike?" my mother asked the tom.

"Very well, thanks for asking," he purred back. "This is my apprentice _and _daughter, Gingerpaw."

"Congratulations!" my mother purred. "Do you have more than one kit?"

"Two more, actually," said Adderstrike proudly. "Slitherpaw and Tumblepaw, my brothers are their mentors. They'll be here in a moment..." Soon enough, a black tom, a black tom with a brown tail, a small brown tom with black paws, and a small brown tom appeared.

"Greetings, Vinetail, Mistgaze," said the black tom.

"Nice to see you, Snaketail, Rattletail," the black tom nodded, then the black one with a brown tail.

"Are these Slitherpaw and Tumblepaw?" my mother asked.

"Yup," said the smaller brown one proudly. "I'm Tumblepaw, and the big oaf next to me is my brother, Slitherpaw." Slitherpaw rolled his eyes and gave his brother a friendly shove. Gingerpaw giggled.

"Who is this?" Adderstrike said, suddenly noticing me from behind my mother. I had only been an apprentice for several sunrises, so I had stayed back. My mother nudged me forward.

"Hi," I said rather shyly. "I'm Rushpaw."

"Hiya Rushpaw!" said Gingerpaw. "I hope we can be friends! See you at the next Gathering!" And with that, the two patrols dispersed, and we headed back home.

When we reached the camp, my mother twined tails with Rowanfang, who had bounded up to her. My belly rumbled so I went to the fresh-kill pile and selected a parrot to eat. As I was picking the colorful feathers off of the bird, Scorchpaw and Willowpaw skidded up to me.

"I caught that parrot!" said Scorchpaw proudly. Willowpaw purred.

"Thanks," I said. "For giving me this delicious parrot. Wanna share, you two?"

"I thought you'd never ask," Scorchpaw purred, laying down with Willowpaw around the parrot. As we ate the tender, juicy meat, Scorchpaw lifted his head up.

"Did DesertClan give you any trouble?" he asked, gulping down a piece of parrot.

"Naw," I said. "They were actually pretty friendly. I met a senior warrior, three warriors, and three apprentices."

"Lucky!" said Scorchpaw. "I would've wanted to meet some apprentices from different Clans."

"They seemed pretty nice, too," I said. "They were siblings. Slitherpaw, Gingerpaw, and Tumblepaw."

"Tumblepaw?" asked Willowpaw. "That's not a very kind name.

"I was thinking it was like a tumbleweed," I said.

"Oh," said Willowpaw, blinking. "That makes sense..."

We all laughed and continued eating our meal.

* * *

Bouncepaw's POV

"Great catch, Bouncepaw!" Dovefeather praised me. "You've turned out to be quite the hunter."

"Only thanks to you," I said, nudging my mentor playfully. I had been an apprentice for five moons now, and was already more than halfway through my training. I padded back to where I had the majority of my prey buried whilst Dovefeather went to collect the rest. In total, I had brought down two squirrels, a pigeon, three mice, and a shrew. Not shabby. Not shabby at all.

I grinned to myself, almost smirking. _Ha! _I thought. _That'll show Rabbitpaw she isn't so much better than me! _The newly named apprentice was so _annoying. _She thought that just because she was the daughter of Foreststar and Snow-whisker (the leader _and _deputy) that she was superior to everyone else. At lest her sister, Leap-paw, had a little sense.

I was very proud of my parentage. Owlgaze was my father. He was a senior warrior, and I looked _exactly _like him. Minus the tail. We had the same long, black pelt and our eyes were the same pools of orange. My father's tail was short and stubby, a defect at birth. It had never slowed of unbalanced him, though. He was twice as good as any other warrior! My tail was long and plumed, much like my mother, Ripplefeather's. She was the youngest warrior, but her and my father had fallen head over heals in love. So much so that she had me after only being a warrior for five moons.

I padded through the gorse tunnel with Dovefeather, head held high and chest puffed up.

"Well, well," said Rabbitpaw, snickering. "Looks like Bouncepaw has to help Dovefeather carry her catch back because he can't hunt." I rolled my eyes and set down my catch on the fresh-kill pile. Once Dovefeather put down what she had been carrying, she whirled on the younger she-cat.

"You listen here," she hissed. "You are to stop tormenting Bouncepaw! He caught _all _of that prey on his own! You aren't better than everyone because of who your parents are, you're only as good as the effort you put into being great." I could see a little bit of fear in Rabbitpaw's eyes, but she had to keep her "tough" reputation.

"Say's a _half-Clan_!" she said, being extremely over cocky. Dovefeather's eyes darkened.

"_What _did you just say?" she said, a growl rumbling deep in her throat. Her voice held a menacing tone, as if she was about to kill Rabbitpaw. Foreststar was listening in the whole time, yet made no move to interfere.

"H-half-clan!" Rabbitpaw stuttered, obviously afraid. Dovefeather's eyes darkened even more, and cats that had begun to listen gasped. No one _ever _taunted Dovefeather about being half StreamClan! Her parents were well respected, even if it was against the warrior code. Both of them were dead now, though. The late Featherstar of PineClan, a beautiful silver she cat; and the late Nettlestar of StreamClan, a brown tabby.

Just as Dovefeather was about to attack Rabbitpaw, Foreststar swooped in and picked up his stubborn daughter by the scruff.

"I'll take care of this myself," he muttered darkly through Rabbitpaw's neck fur. "Continue on with what you were doing." Rabbitpaw's eyes widened when she thought of the punishment her father might give her. Leap-paw walked up to me apologetically.

"Sorry about her," she mewed. "She's just trying to prove herself to father. He doesn't normally pay us any attention." I felt a pang of sympathy for the two sisters. Being leader meant not having very much free time, and their mother had to organize patrols on top of all of that.

"S'alright," I said, picking out one of my squirrels from the pile. "Wanna share?" She purred in thanks and we sat on opposite ends of the squirrel, quickly devouring the warm, succulent meat.

"We should go hunting sometime," she said while she began grooming her pelt. "You could give me a few pointers."

"Gladly," I replied. "You're much easier to talk to than your sister." She raised her eyebrow.

"And I'm prettier," she teased.

Not really hearing her, I responded, "Yeah-" then cut off, blushing madly underneath my long black fur. "I, I mean. Um. No? I don't know. Argah! She-cats!" I stuttered, stalking away. Suddenly, Rabbitpaw came stalking back from the leader's den to complain to her sister about her punishment, shoving me on the way to her sister. I rolled my eyes and listened to what they were saying.

"It's not fair!" Rabbitpaw wailed. "Can't I do what I want?"

"No," Leap-paw reasoned. "There are restrictions, the warrior code-"

"The warrior code is a load of foxdung!" Rabbitpaw hissed. "Nothing but things keeping cats back from being great! Foreststar is so unfair! He ignores his own kits, and now he's making me do _Medicine Cat _training for _two moons_! Do you know how far behind I'll get!? You'll be made a warrior before me!"

"You _have _been getting into more trouble than usual lately," said Leap-paw. "I mean, hunting in StreamClan territory? Come _on! _You _must _have more sense than that!"

I was so focused on her rant that I didn't notice Mousetail come racing into the camp.

"StreamClan!" she yowled. "StreamClan is attacking! All of their warriors!" Rabbitpaw's eyes widened, she knew it was her fault.

"I want everyone to meet their forces!" said Foreststar. "I expect our apprentices to fight as well." I nodded, adrenaline already pulsing through my veins. "PineClan, move out!"

I raced to the StreamClan border with Dovefeather, ready to fight. We skidded to a halt in front of the gathered StreamClan cats.

"What is the meaning of this, Riverstar?" Foreststar hissed.

"_Prey-stealers_!" she yowled. "StreamClan, attack!"

"PineClan, to me!" yowled Foreststar, and we clashed head on into battle. I saw an apprentice around my age, Stormpaw, rushing at me. I growled, and bowled into him, using my larger size to pin him to the ground. I slashed at his muzzle, quickly drawing blood. He then returned the favor with a blow to my shoulder, and I felt him reach my muscle. I yowled in pain and hatred, and scratched him across the eye.

"I can't see!" he yowled. Then, a large black and ginger whirl of fur bowled into me, wounding my other shoulder.

"Keep your paws off my brother!" he hissed, amber eyes flashing. I remembered him to be Flashpaw, one of the toughest apprentices _ever_. And I had just wounded his _brother_. I was in for deep trouble.

"StreamClan!" yowled Riverstar. "Fall back!" As they retreated back to their camp, she turned and yowled. "This isn't over, Foreststar!"

When they were gone, we headed home and my father brought me to Goosefur's den.

"You fought well," he praised as Goosefur used his one-of-a-kind way to stitch up wounds. He threaded cobwebs through cactus needles found on the DesertClan border and weaved the flesh together.

"Like a true warrior," my mother, Ripplefeather, purred, cleaning up my pelt. Once everyone was treated for their wounds, Foreststar let out a familiar call.

"May all those old enough to catch their own prey gather underneath the High Branch for a Clan meeting!" We all hurried to gather under the tall Oak tree where he made his announcements.

"Today is an important day for PineClan," he yowled. "Bouncepaw fought extremely well, and it is time he was made a warrior." Yowls of approval rang through the clearing and I beamed. "StarClan, he has worked hard and lived by your code, so I condemn him to a warrior in turn." He turned to me. "Bouncepaw, it is your wish to become a warrior of PineClan, to protect your clanmates, and follow the warrior code to the best of your ability."

"It is," I said proudly.

"Then from this day forward, your name shall be Bouncefang!" he yowled.

"Bouncefang! Bouncefang!" my clanmates called. I walked over to Dovefeather, who was purring.

"No speaking," she reminded me. "Go sit vigil." I smiled and walked to the camp entrance. When I looked into the forest, I saw a spiky ginger starry kit staring at me with wide, green eyes. I gaped at her, and she let out a purr.

"I'm proud of you, big brother," she mewed quietly, then scampered back up to her home in the stars.

_Oh Nettlekit, _I thought sadly. _You should be here, too. You would have had your warrior name already. Nettlefrost, I remember. That was the name you always wanted... until... _My eyes narrowed. Just ten sunrises before our apprentice ceremony, Nettlekit had fallen ill with a strange new sickness. She was the only one who had ever had it, so Goosefur had to keep her away from other cats in order to keep it from spreading.

The symptoms were terrible. She lost her vision for hours at a time, then had very high fevers. Other times she was cold to the touch and always shivering. She had nightmares every night. She couldn't keep any food down, only water, and had begun to lose her memory. The day before our apprentice ceremony, she was in so much pain she begged Goosefur to end it for her peacefully, so she would be out of pain.

It had been a hard decision for my parents. Owlgaze and Ripplefeather had been terribly upset. I remember the day they told me very clearly.

"_Son," said Owlgaze. "Your mother and I have something very important to tell you."_

"_Is it about Nettlekit?" I asked. "She'll be OK by tomorrow, right? She needs to go to our apprentice ceremony. So that way, one day, I'll be leader and she'll be deputy. Just like we promised." Ripplefeather choked down a sob._

"_No, Bouncekit," she mewed, voice cracking. "Your sister, she's, she's not going to get better."_

"_For how long?" I asked._

"_She won't ever get better, Bouncekit," Owlgaze mewed sadly._

"_Oh," I mewed. "So she's just gonna stay with Goosefur forever?"_

"_No Bouncekit," Owlgaze said, tears leaking from his orange eyes. "She's not. She's in so much pain, we're going to have Goosefur give her deathberries to ease her on her way to StarClan. You have two hours before we give them to her."_

"_No!" I wailed. "You can't do that! She _has _to get better! She's going to be an apprentice, then Nettlefrost, then have two kits and be my deputy! She has to follow the plan!"_

"_Sometimes things change," Ripplefeather sobbed. "And you don't want your sister to suffer more than she already is, do you?" I pondered this for a moment, tears falling freely from my eyes._

"_I guess," I mewed, then looked up at my mother and buried my head in her fur. "I'm gonna miss her."_

"_We all are," she said. "You get an hour with her, then your father and I get an hour. You can come back in when, when its time." I nodded wordlessly and raced out into the forest to an abandoned badger set, where my sister was located. Following the procedure, I chewed some icky herbs so I wouldn't catch her sickness. For once, she was fully awake and remembered everything._

"_Hi Bouncekit," she said, smiling weakly. "How are you?"_

"_How can you act so cheerful?" I asked, horrified. "Aren't you scared of death?"_

"_No," she mewed simply. "I've accepted the fact that I'm going to die. I just want to be happy in the final hours of my life. Wanna play moss ball? Then tag?" I nodded and played with my sister. For a while, I almost forgot she was going to die. But when my parents came for their hour, the sad truth came crashing down on me again. _

_After their hour was up, I trudged back through the forest to the abandoned badger set, chewing the herbs again. I walked in, and Nettlekit smiled up at me._

"_I'll be fine," she promised. "And I'll always watch over you guys." I curled up against her side as my parents covered her in licks and whispered soothing little nothings as Goosefur gave her two bright red berries and she slipped into death as easy as falling asleep._

I blinked away tears from my eyes. That was the past, and Nettlekit was happy in StarClan. And she was proud of me. That was all that mattered. I stretched open my orange eyes even wider and waited in the cool night, watching for danger as much as my sister watched out for me.

* * *

Flashpaw's POV

"I'll kill him!" I hissed. "I'll kill Bouncepaw! I swear to it!"

"Son," said Fishswoop, my father. "Hurting the cat that did this to Stormpaw won't give him back his sight."

"Are you _sure _there isn't anything you can do for him?" my mother, Riverstar, pestered Ripplefur.

"Riverstar," he sighed. "It's no use. He will never be able to see out of his left eye again."

"Will he still be able to train as a warrior?" I fretted.

"No," said Ripplefur sadly. "He won't be able to fight again. He might still be able to fish, but that's it."

"Will he have to be an elder this early?" I asked, concerned for my brother. Ripplefur stifled a laugh.

"No," he said. "He'll have to train to be my apprentice."

"MEDICINE CAT APPRENTICE!?" Stormpaw shrieked, making his way out of the Medicine Cat den. "I can't be a Medicine Cat apprentice! I want to fight! And hunt! And patrol!"

"It's the path that StarClan has laid out for you," Ripplefur mewed. "And you will have to accept that. Or would you rather be a burden to your Clan?" Stormpaw huffed and sat down, utterly defeated. I laid my tail on my brother's shoulder shortly.

"Cat's of StreamClan!" my mother yowled. "Gather for a Clan meeting!" We all swam over to the meeting island, where my mother beckoned my brother and I forward.

"Today these two apprentices will be made warriors," she said. "From this day forward, my sons, you will be known as Flashstrike and Stormgaze.

"Flashstrike! Stormgaze! Flashstrike! Stormgaze!" my clanmates called.

"Also," said Riverstar. "Even though Stormgaze just earned his warrior name, he will have to train as a Medicine Cat apprentice, due to being blinded in his left eye by a PineClan cat."

"They will pay!" Fishswoop growled. Several other cats muttered their consent. My brother and I were well liked and respected in the Clan, and we were my mother's only kits, making us treasures to the Clan to carry on the long line of leaders in our blood. My mother's father, Nettlestar, had been disloyal by having kits with the PineClan scum leader, Featherstar. But, he had come to his senses and had kits with a previous deputy (who died before he did) Maplewhisker. When she died, my mother - Riverstorm then - became deputy.

The entire Clan had suspected one of us would be the next leader, and now that Stormgaze was incapable, the weight of that responsibility was put onto my shoulders.

"I have several more announcements to make," said my mother. "We found a rouge kit at the border after the battle -" A timid fluffy gray she cat with sparkling green eyes padded up from behind Riverstar. "And she will become an apprentice of StreamClan. From this day forward you will be known as Waterpaw. Flashstrike will be your mentor."

"Waterpaw! Waterpaw!" the cats gathered called.

"Also," my mother continued. "Rainheart is retiring from her position as deputy. Flashstrike will be the new deputy."

"Flashstrike! Flashstrike!" my clanmates cheered loudly, my brother's voice the loudest. I was shocked. Warrior, mentor _and _deputy in _one night_!? It was a miracle! I was fully ready for the responsibility though.

I sat my vigil in silence, then arranged several hunting and border patrols. After that, I took a quick nap. When I woke up, I arranged more patrols and ate a trout quickly.

"Waterpaw!" I called to my apprentice. "I'm going to teach you how to fish!" She looked up from near the apprentice den, where she had been talking to Minnowpaw. The she cats had become fast friends in the short time Waterpaw had been here. Her green eyes sparkled and she scampered up to me.

"I think you'll be a great mentor!" she mewed enthusiastically, all shyness gone. "I know you're a new warrior and all, but you're already handling all these responsibilities so well! I hope I'm as great as you one day!" I smiled and cuffed her on the head good naturedly.

"Calm down!" I purred. "You're as hyper as a rabbit!" She smiled and skidded to a halt when we reached "Trout River" which was a good place for fishing trout. I showed her how to sit in a way where her shadow wasn't cast over the water, and how to scoop fish with her paw. Within no time, she had a small pile of trout sitting next to her.

"Great job!" I purred. "Let's get this back to camp!" She beamed, obviously proud, and it took the both of us to haul back her catch.

"Did she catch _all _of that?" Riverstar asked.

"You bet!" I purred. "Best apprentice I could ask for." Waterpaw blushed, accepting the praise modestly.

"Well done," said Riverstar, dipping her head to her. This made Waterpaw smile even more.

"Go eat and rest," I told her. "You've earned it." She smiled and took one of her trouts to share with Minnowpaw, who had just gotten back from patrolling. Once I had organized the night-watch and the Dusk Patrol, I curled up into my nest to sleep.

* * *

Tumplepaw's POV

I padded towards the OasisClan border quietly, as to not wake up my clanmates.

"Rushpaw?" I called quietly. "You there." She jumped out from behind a bush and pinned me.

"You came," she breathed quietly. I smiled.

"Of course I came, I like you a lot," I admitted. It seemed foolish, we had only met a couple of days ago. But it seemed like an eternity. I had fallen for she faster than a cat could say 'mouse'. Just like that. I knew we were meant to be together. It didn't matter that we were in different Clans. All that mattered was her.

"What do you want to do?" I asked her. She smiled, and beckoned for me to lay on my back. I did so curiously, waiting to see what the point in this was.

"Look at the stars," she said almost dreamily. "They're so beautiful."

"Like your eyes," I said quietly. That earned me a quick lick on the cheek, which turned me bright red under my brown fur.

"We don't see stars often in DesertClan," I said. "We sleep in underground tunnels to keep us cool. And in the winter, they're nice and warm."

"Our Clans are so different," mused Rushpaw. "And yet so alike. We fight for territory to feed the kits, keep the elders alive. We hunt to provide for our family members. So why aren't we one?"

"That's a good question," I mewed. "I guess it's because of the diverse terrain we live in. Some of us are more suited to different territories." She let out a sigh.

"I don't see why the warrior code makes this forbidden," she said. "If cats in different Clans love each other, shouldn't they be able to meet? Love can't be stopped." I purred and twined my tail with hers.

"I'd fight ten thousand Clans to be with you," I purred. "And I'll always be there to protect you."

"Promise?" asked Rushpaw.

"Promise," I mewed firmly.

"I love you Tumblepaw," she sighed, nestling into my stomach.

"I love you too," I purred back.


End file.
